Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Turkey on stopping the allegedly illegal drilling for oil and gas inside the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus.

The UK has repeatedly expressed our opposition to Turkish drilling in the waters around Cyprus, in both public and private. We continue to urge de-escalation.

We have consistently stated our support for the sovereign right of the Republic of Cyprus to exploit the oil and gas in its internationally agreed Exclusive Economic Zone. We also continue to attach the utmost importance to securing a long-term settlement to the division of Cyprus and believe the most enduring way of resolving difficult issues such as this is to achieve a Cyprus settlement. We encourage all parties to redouble their efforts in pursuit of this.

We believe it is critical for stability in the Mediterranean and for the integrity of the rules-based international system that disputes such as this are resolved, not through force, militarisation or coercion, but through dialogue and in accordance with international law. We will continue to work with the Republic of Cyprus and the wider region to that end.